Performance monitoring tools are commonly used to assess the operation of a vehicle, such as an automobile, airplane, or the like. Such tools analyze the performance of the vehicle and the various internal systems which make up the vehicle. In addition, the monitoring systems may assess the behavior of the driver operating the vehicle and gather data information pertaining to how that person is operating the vehicle. These assessments may be achieved in both real time and non-real time manners.
Most newer cars and trucks contain On Board Diagnostics (OBD) systems which provide some level of self-diagnostic and information reporting capability. OBD systems were originally developed to be used during the manufacturing and test processes. However, the capabilities of these systems and their uses have expanded dramatically since that time. Currently, OBD systems give repair technicians, vehicle owners, and emissions testing agencies electronic access to state of health and operational information pertaining to many different vehicle subsystems. Historically, many vehicle functions like braking, speed indication, and fuel delivery were performed by mechanical systems and components. Presently, many of these vehicle functions are controlled or monitored through electronic means, thereby making electronic information about the performance and operations of those systems readily available. It is now possible to electronically monitor tens, if not hundreds, of operational characteristics of a vehicle using OBD systems, as well as power devices from the OBD port.
Driver behavior and the potential for vehicle accidents has been a longstanding concern. In recent years, driver behavior has garnered additional attention in various media outlets. In particular, some media have reported on the impact of new communication technologies, such as cell phones and text messaging, on driver behavior. It has been shown that engaging with these technologies while operating a vehicle can have significant adverse effects. Consequently, business owners and government agencies that have drivers operating vehicles on their behalf have heightened concerns about the driving behaviors of their drivers and the ensuing risks which may be associated with those behaviors. Parents may be concerned about the driving behaviors of their children and wish to affect those driving behaviors for similar reasons.
In addition to affecting the risks of an accident, driver behavior may have other important cost and environmental impacts as well. For example, rapid or frequent acceleration of a vehicle may result in less efficient fuel consumption or higher concentrations of pollutants. In addition, hard braking or excessive speed may result in increased maintenance costs, unexpected repair costs, or require premature vehicle replacement.
Law enforcement and the justice system may have difficulty monitoring individuals with driving infractions. Modification of the driving behaviors of a driver with past infraction(s) may be a goal of the justice system.
Overview
In various embodiments, systems and methods are disclosed for operating a driver analysis system to analyze driver behavior and providing a presentation of the analyzed information to a driver and a third party, such as a person in, or a portion of, the justice system. Based at least in part on the information, the justice system may choose to expunge an infraction or enhance penalties of the driver. The justice system may include a court, officer, judge, attorney, probation officer, etc.
In an embodiment, a method of operating a driver analysis system comprises receiving vehicle operation data corresponding to operation of a plurality of vehicles operated by a plurality of drivers, generating a driving report which identifies the driving performance of the target driver, and transferring the driving report to a target device for viewing by one or more parties, where the one or more parties comprises an entity related to the justice system.
In another embodiment, a driver analysis system comprises a communication interface configured to receive vehicle operation data corresponding to operation of a one or more of vehicles operated by one or more drivers, a processing system configured to identify from the plurality of drivers a peer group associated with a target driver, process at least a portion of the vehicle operation data to determine driving performance of the target driver relative to driving performance of the peer group, and generate a driving score which generally identifies the driving performance of the target driver, the communication interface further configured to transfer the driving score to an entity comprising at least a portion of the justice system.
In another example embodiment, an example driver analysis network comprises a plurality of monitoring systems located on board a plurality of vehicles operated by a plurality of drivers wherein the plurality of monitoring systems is configured to transmit vehicle operation data corresponding to operation of the plurality of vehicles, a server configured to receive the vehicle operation data at a communication interface, identify from the plurality of drivers a peer group associated with a target driver, process at least a portion of the vehicle operation data to determine driving performance of the target driver relative to driving performance of the peer group, generate a driving report which identifies the driving performance of the target driver, and transmit the driving report at the communication interface, a target device configured to receive the driving report and display the driving report for viewing by the target driver and a member of the justice system.
In another example embodiment, the monitoring systems which gather vehicle operation data are powered through an OBD port on each vehicle. The monitoring systems gather some of the vehicle operation data from the OBD port and gather other vehicle operation data from a source other than the OBD port. The monitoring systems may also include includes an accelerometer, GPS functionality, flash memory, a processor, a real-time operating system, as well as cellular and Bluetooth-type communication capabilities.